After Action Report
by Psyched
Summary: Missing scene/post-ep for Payback (8x15). There's a lot of catching up for the team and Densi to do after the big rescue.
1. Chapter 1

**AN:** This is my attempt at answering some questions, closing some gaps, and just working it all out in my mind. Expect two chapters with the possibility of a third, depending on how I feel about Whiting and how busy I am with work this week. Chapter 2 (which will be all Densi) should be up mid-week.

 **Spoilers:** Up to and including Payback (8x15).

 **Disclaimer:** I put in a bid to buy NCIS: LA, but until I hear back, let's assume I don't own it and I'm not making any money from this.

* * *

Deeks carefully placed Kensi in the back seat of the SUV and gently closed the door before heading to the other side. As she buckled her seatbelt, Sam asked with obvious concern, "You sure you're okay Kensi? Want us to take you to the hospital, get looked at?"

"No Sam, really, I'm fine. Deeks is just being very overprotective." She heard the man in question open the back hatch of the vehicle and root around in one of the tac bags. Less than a minute later, he was sliding into the seat beside her, giving her a bottle of water and some gauze pads. "I said I needed a few seconds to get the feeling back in my feet and he decided I didn't need to walk at all. I'm good now." Especially since Deeks told her that Hetty and Granger were in fact, fine. After the distraction of their all-too-brief reunion, Kensi's grief came back full force until Deeks explained the reality: the team had sent those pictures so that Ferris would think his plans were progressing as expected. They didn't want him tipped off that anything was wrong for fear he would move Kensi again.

"Just practicing for the next time, when I really carry you over the threshold," Deeks said, unembarrassed, as he watched his partner drink deeply from the bottle and then wipe the dried blood from her lips and chin with the gauze. He pointed to his own face to help her get spot she missed. When she was finished, Deeks took Kensi's hand in his. He still needed the comfort of physical contact, and by the way she held on, knew Kensi did too.

Kensi had admitted, while they were still alone in the room where Ferris kept her, that she had been drugged two, maybe three times over the course of the day. He understood her reluctance to go to the hospital, and would respect her wishes for the time being. But he would be keeping a close eye on her until the morning.

As Sam pulled away from the curb, Kensi shook her head and said, "I can't believe I didn't see Sullivan, or whatever his name is – "

"Ferris," all three men supplied simultaneously.

"Okay, Ferris, for the psychopath that he was. I mean, I spent hours a day with this guy for several months, and I never suspected a thing."

Kensi noticed Deeks' and Sam's quick looks at Callen. She figured their team leader would be the one to comment on her poor judgement. Deciding it was better to rip that particular Band-Aid off now, she pushed on, "Go ahead Callen, let's get it over with."

"Ferris was smart, Kens. And psychopaths are very good at hiding their true selves. He approached you when you were physically and emotionally vulnerable, and the fact that he's an amputee made his presence in rehab completely unsuspicious. I'm sure looking back you'll see some hints you could have picked up on then. Be cognizant of those things and learn from them." Glancing at his partner, Callen continued, "I know I will."

Confused, Kensi asked, "What does that mean?"

No one spoke for a few seconds. Kensi looked to Deeks for some sort of clue as to what was going on. He started to mouth something to her when Callen finally spoke. "Joelle was a plant too."

Kensi gasped, "Joelle? _Your_ Joelle?" When the senior agent only nodded, she said, "Oh my God, Callen, I'm so sorry. How did you find out?"

Sam explained, "We found her in the church we thought Ferris was holding you in. Bound to a chair with a hood over her head. Said she'd been abducted this morning. Not sure exactly how, but Hetty figured out she was CIA while we had her at the boatshed for her protection."

Kensi took a few seconds to absorb that information. "Sullivan…Ferris said this all stemmed from us getting involved in Afghanistan a few years ago. You met Joelle when I was there, didn't you, Callen?"

 _Yeah, because Michelle and I set them up_ , Sam thought bitterly. He was not looking forward to the conversation with his wife tonight. G was right, they'd all be scrutinizing their own actions and judgement for a long time to come.

"Yes," was all Callen said.

"What was her assignment?" Kensi wanted to know.

"According to Hetty, she was just supposed to gather intel," Deeks supplied. "Apparently she was already placed at Kamran's school so she could keep tabs on foreign dignitaries through their children. So it was just a hop, skip, and a blind date from there to Callen."

Kensi cringed internally. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, Callen, Sullivan was after me for revenge." Meeting Deeks' eyes, she said, "If he could have, he would have slept with me just to break us up, so it would hurt me even more when all this happened."

"That's the real reason he showed up at the house that day," Deeks realized, and felt his anger simmering again. His finger itched to put another couple of rounds through the CIA agent's head.

"He came to your house?" Callen was surprised to hear this.

"Yeah, with a six pack of beer, supposedly to thank me for my help in rehab and say goodbye before he re-joined his unit in the Middle East. When he came on to me, I was kind of surprised, because I hadn't ever gotten the sense that he was interested."

"And because he knew you have a fiancé," Deeks added, the agitation sounding in his voice. But when he thought about the timing, things clicked, "Guys, that happened the day we found Natalie Grant and identified Rae as the woman who tried to pick up Granger. I wonder if Sullivan wanted to be close to Kensi in case Natalie talked? You know, to be ready to act on his plans for revenge if it looked like things were beginning to fall apart." Considering this made Deeks sick to his stomach.

"How long was he there, Kensi?" Sam asked, thinking Deeks may very well be right.

Kensi replied, "A few hours. I cut him off after his third beer but I wasn't comfortable letting him drive, so we took another walk around the block, came back and watched some basketball and hockey." She paused for a moment. "Now that I think about it, he hit on me when I started hinting about having things to do."

"Hoping he could get you to let him stay a while longer," Deeks said sourly.

"And when I said no, he went to get another beer," Kensi remembered as she replayed the afternoon in her head, now through the filter of suspicion.

"Because he knew you wouldn't make him leave then," Callen said.

"Except that I'd dumped the last two already. Just in case."

"So you were mistrustful of him on some level," Sam encouraged.

"Not of being someone other than who he said he was, Sam, and definitely not of having any sort of hatred for me. When he started talking about how much he liked my smile and that I made him feel like losing his leg didn't matter, I just figured he'd had too much to drink and was hoping for a last roll in the hay with someone before he deployed again."

"And when Kensi mentioned it the next day, it bothered me because some snaggle-toothed jerk was hitting on my ladybird, but not because of what was going on with the mole. Damnit!"

"Kensi told you about this already?" Again, there was surprise in Callen's voice.

"Of course," Kensi said.

"Why wouldn't she?" asked Deeks at the same time.

Not about to let this devolve into a discussion about what couples do and don't tell one another, Sam brought them back to the matter at hand, "Like G said, we'll all start seeing where we could have made connections now that we're looking for them and have more information. Hindsight is twenty-twenty, Deeks, and none of us are going to let this happen again."

"Hetty mentioned that there was some kind of history between you and Ferris, Kensi. Was that it? His attempt to seduce you?" Callen didn't want to keep bringing this up with Kensi and Deeks, but they needed to know how all the pieces fit together. They had to be sure that Sherov, Ferris, Sabatino, Joelle, Brown, and the others they'd worked with along the way were the sum total of the group that was after them.

"I didn't know this until today, but apparently I'm responsible for the loss of his leg."

"What?! How the hell does he come to that conclusion when it was an IED?" Deeks fumed.

"That was a cover story. He was shot in the leg in Afghanistan, the day after Christmas 2013."

"Wait, so you really did shoot him?" Deeks asked hopefully.

"We were told the group he was with was Taliban. I didn't know he was an American, and I certainly didn't know he was CIA. My orders were to injure some of them, so I did."

"Pity you weren't told to kill them; we could have avoided today's excitement," Sam noted.

"And I wouldn't have had to spend the day with a lunatic threatening to cut off my leg."

"God, that's what his payback was going to be? Break us up and leave you an amputee just like him?" Deeks was back to feeling nauseated.

"Don't worry, I hurt him way more than he hurt me today. Not that you would notice now that he has two bullet holes in his head, but he had a nice wound to the stomach thanks to yours truly."

"How'd you manage that, Kensi?" Sam asked, impressed.

"After I woke up from the last time Sullivan drugged me I bit my tongue and pretend to choke. He didn't buy it at first, so he smacked me, but when I kept it up, he tipped the wheelchair over so I was on my back. When he cut off the wire ties from one ankle and wrist, I made my move."

"That's my girl," Deeks crowed with delight.

"What happened? Deeks was cutting you lose when we got there," Callen pointed out.

"I got myself completely free after a bit of scuffle with him. That room was full of weapons of opportunity, and I managed to slice him with a box cutter before the other two came in, fully armed. Otherwise Sullivan, shit, Ferris, would have been the one tied to a wheelchair when you showed up. Any idea who they were?"

"Not yet," Callen answered. "But probably CIA."

"Damned spooks," Deeks said under his breath.

Kensi squeezed the hand that had been holding hers since they got into the SUV, and Deeks flinched. It was then that she noticed the cuts and bruises. "What did you do to your hand, Deeks?"

"He tried to break Sabatino's face," Sam said again.

Kensi looked to Deeks for an explanation.

Deeks shrugged, "I needed to know where you were and he was our only chance of finding you."

Kensi gave him a smile of warmth and pride. She would have kissed him if Callen and Sam weren't there. Instead, she put her focus back on the recent events and all she had missed. "Okay, so Sullivan, sorry Ferris, was involved in this to get revenge against me. And, according to him, because we kept screwing things up in Afghanistan for the CIA. What was he talking about? And how was Sabatino involved?"

Callen filled in some of the blanks, "Sabatino said he was trying to infiltrate a group of corrupt CIA agents involved in illegal activities in Afghanistan. Your 'interference' there, and probably our subsequent arrival to rescue you and Jack cost them a lot of money. They got tired of it and decided to do something about it."

"But we don't believe him. Sabatino's as guilty as the rest of them." Deeks stated.

"I don't know about that, Deeks. He could be telling the truth," Sam said.

"I knew he was up to something when we were in Afghanistan, but at the time I thought he was really the White Ghost. Which he obviously wasn't since that was just an excuse to kill Jack. He could have been gathering intel about Ferris then, since we now know he was there too."

"Or he could have been working with him," Deeks pointed out. "And Sherov. He's the other member of this merry band we learned about," he added for Kensi's benefit.

"That's true too," Kensi acknowledged. "But who framed you guys and Granger? And why? Payback for Hetty sending me to mess with their plans in the Middle East?"

Again, silence filled the cab of the vehicle as the men delayed in saying the words. "Granger had to have been framed and nearly killed, twice, by this CIA group. He was in Afghanistan too, and giving the orders, so they likely blamed him as much as Hetty. Any previous attempts against us were probably them as well, either to destroy the OSP, get us out of the game, or to hurt Hetty and/or end her career. As for the three of us, Hetty set us up to keep us out of danger," Sam declared. And sounded like he truly believed it.

"Wait, what?" Kensi was stunned. She'd used the term "framed" to describe the actions against all four men even though she knew that wasn't technically true in Deeks' case, but Callen and Sam didn't know that. Kensi looked at Deeks and saw the betrayal reflected in his eyes. "I don't know about you two, but Deeks was in lock-up with a bunch of gang-bangers! How is that out of danger? Anything could have happened to you guys in there. Hell, Granger was stabbed while in LAPD custody."

"You know Hetty, she has her own way of doing things," Callen said.

"Yeah, but she could have told me afterward. So Nell and I didn't have to bother trying to get you out."

"Nell did say Hetty told you all to stay put in the mission," Sam reminded her.

 _She also left me in charge and you three were behind bars, potentially in danger,_ she thought but didn't say, because Deeks subtly shook his head, and Kensi understood he was asking her not to go down this particular path right now. And he was probably right. Kensi could sense she and Sam, and possibly Callen, would get into an argument about it if she didn't keep quiet. But they would definitely discuss it at home later.

Instead, Kensi changed the subject slightly, "So how did you get out? Did Hetty finally come clean? I know Nell was about to break Callen out when I ran into Sullivan. Ferris."

"Nell helped me out, Sam talked his way out, and Detective Whiting finally agreed to let Deeks out after she saw the video of your abduction, but only if she tagged along," Callen explained.

"Whiting was helping you search for me?" Seeing the expression on Deeks' face, Kensi knew there was more to that story. Another thing to talk about tonight, when it was just the two of them.

"Until she was shot by Carl Brown," Deeks said as he pulled out his phone to check for any messages about her status.

"Carl escaped custody this morning, how the hell did he come back into play?" This was beginning to make less and less sense to Kensi.

Callen took over. "He didn't actually escape. Hetty orchestrated that and used Carl as bait to bring the rogue CIA agents to her. Sabatino, Sherov, and a third man showed up. Hetty shot the unknown guy, Sherov died when she blew up the garage they were in, and we took down Brown when he shot Whiting."

"Any news on her, Deeks?" Sam wanted to know.

"Nothing so far." He sent a text to Lieutenant Bates requesting an update and letting him know they had recovered Kensi safe and sound.

"Wow. And I thought I had a bad day," Kensi muttered.

"Princess, they could update that children's book with you as the main character: _Kensi Blye and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad_ _ **Year**_ ," Deeks whispered back.

Arriving at the mission, Kensi gave her partner a warning look. "I am walking in there on my own two feet, Deeks."

She did walk in, but Deeks was no more than a hair's breadth from her side. Eric and Nell were there to welcome the team home, and both had hugs for Kensi.

"Glad you're okay, lady," Nell said.

"So happy to see you up and about again," added Eric.

When Hetty approached the group, Deeks stiffened and walked away. He headed to his locker and removed some belongings. "Welcome back, Ms. Blye. You look none the worse for wear. Are you feeling well?"

"I'm fine," Kensi replied deliberately.

"We started our debrief on the way here, Hetty. I'm thinking the after-action reports can wait until tomorrow?" Callen suggested.

"A good idea, Mr. Callen. You all deserve to go home and relax tonight. It has been a long and eventful few days. I believe I will head to the hospital, and fill Owen in on the recent goings-on."

As Callen gathered his shoulder bag from his desk and headed for the hallway, he was heard to say, "Seeing all those power tools in that house inspired me. I think I'm going to work on a home improvement project tonight."

Deeks held out his hand to Kensi, "Ready?"

She grasped the proffered hand and also took hold of his arm with her other hand. "Let's go home, baby."

"I'm driving," he stated firmly, leaving no room for argument as they walked together toward the door.

* * *

 **AN2:** I have to give props to Tess DiCorsi, whose article on wikiDeeks, _Mole in the Hole_! _Looking Back & Looking Ahead_ helped me clarify some the elements of the team's discussion. Also, thanks to sassyzazzi and Max and Fern 4ever for the chats that inspired some issues addressed in this chapter and the next one. Also, I just read writeallnight's _We're All Right_ before I did the final read-though of my story. I swear, any similarities (in this chapter or the next, which is already written) are purely coincidental!


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:** This is my attempt at answering some questions, closing some gaps, and just working it all out in my mind. I consider Chapter 1 more of a missing scene, and this is the post-ep part (as will be Chapter 3 if I decide that Whiting gets to live).

Thanks again to sassyzazzi and Max and Fern 4ever for some of the ideas that worked their way into Densi's talk. Also, this was honestly written before I read writeallnight's _We're All Right_ and any other post-eps which may have similar themes (what can I say, I guess we're all working through the same issues!)

 **Spoilers:** Up to and including Payback (8x15).

 **Disclaimer:** I put in a bid to buy NCIS: LA, but until I hear back, let's assume I don't own it and I'm not making any money from this.

* * *

When they got into Kensi's SRX, Deeks paused with his hand on the key in the ignition, "You know what really bothers me about the whole Sullivan situation?"

"There's only one thing?" Kensi asked wryly.

"Well, no." he admitted, starting the car and pulling away from the mission. There are so many things about CIA officer Ferris that disturb the hell out of Deeks. But one thing in particular had been gnawing at him since Kensi shared that his intent had been to amputate her leg. "So okay, you told me that Sullivan helped you in rehab; he pushed and challenged you, motivated you to work harder. Why would he do that? Why bother if he wanted you disabled like he was? You couldn't fully use either of your legs or your hand; you were worse off than he hoped for. Why didn't he try to sabotage your recovery somehow?"

"I thought about that too while I was pretending to be unconscious. Didn't get the chance to ask him, but I'm pretty sure, after spending some time with the real guy today, that he wanted me to make a complete recovery so that it would be that much worse when he took it all away from me, you know?"

"Sick bastard," Deeks shook his head in disgust.

"Yeah." Kensi sighed. "But can we change the subject? I really don't want to talk about Sullivan any more right now. Lord knows I'll be thinking enough about all the signs I missed along the way."

"Sure, baby. Would you just do me a favor and talk to me about those things instead of beating yourself up over them?"

Kensi glanced at Deeks and gave him a sweet smile. "I promise I'll try, how's that?"

"I'll take it."

"Thank you." Kensi put her hand on Deeks' thigh and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Next topic: Whiting or Hetty?"

"Neither. We are going home, taking care of ourselves and each other for a while, and then we'll have those discussions."

Kensi considered her partner and boyfriend as he drove. She really wanted to know what had gone down with Whiting and Hetty, but got the feeling that if they started talking about either one now, it would take over their entire evening. And like Deeks, Kensi had other things she wanted to do first. "If by taking care of ourselves you mean sex, showers, and food, in no particular order, I'm in."

Deeks smiled at her, "Oh, I was thinking a shared shower first, followed by sex, then food, if you can wait to eat."

"How about a small snack, shower sex, bedroom sex, then food?" Kensi countered, knowing there was no way in hell she'd last that long until dinner, but enjoying their little game.

"Check your bag," Deeks nodded toward the messenger bag he'd put behind her seat.

It didn't take Kensi long to find the pair of Twinkies and baggie of trail mix he'd tucked away before they left the mission. "This is perfect! I love you!" Kensi raved.

"Can't have my ladybird getting hangry before we get home."

Kensi ate one Twinkie before Deeks finished his sentence. She broke the second one in half and offered it to him. "I would never take a Twinkie from a hungry Kensalina; I value my life too much. But I will take a handful of the nuts." He held out an open palm and watched out of the corner of his eye as the woman he loved inhaled the remainder of her cream-filled sponge cake goodness before sharing the trail mix with him.

"Mmm, that really hit the spot. Thanks, babe." When he was done eating the trail mix, Kensi took Deeks' hand from the steering wheel and examined the damage more closely. "You're going to let me treat and wrap this after our shower, right? Since we said we'd be taking care of each other tonight as well."

In the end, Deeks didn't let Kensi address his hand until after they'd made love for the second time, because he didn't want anything interfering with the feel of her skin against his. As soon as they got home, the couple headed for the shower where they laughed as they quickly joined their bodies and reveled in the utter joy and relief they felt at being free, he from jail and she from the wheelchair in which she spent the better part of the day restrained, and being together again.

When they moved to the bed, Kensi and Deeks took their time. There, they allowed their other emotions out. The fear they'd battled over the last few days was gradually pushed aside by love and adoration. They couldn't get close enough, be tender enough, or express their devotion deeply enough, but each understood nonetheless. They worshipped each other physically and murmured words of comfort, reassurance, and healing. After, they remained wrapped in each other's arms as their breathing and heartrates returned to normal.

Kensi was pretty sure Deeks was asleep, and was about to allow herself to drift as well off when her stomach growled. Loudly. "Perfect timing," Deeks chuckling as he yawned. "Good thing you had that snack before, Princess," he kissed Kensi's hairline and slowly moved to get up.

"What do you want for dinner? I'll call in an order," Kensi said as she crawled out of bed and started pulling clothes out of her drawers.

They decided on Thai, and when it arrived, they settled in on the couch to eat and talk about the things that couldn't or shouldn't be said in front of their teammates. Kensi had pulled two beers from the fridge, until Deeks reminded her that they didn't know exactly what Ferris had injected her with, and suggested they stick with water for tonight.

Kensi got straight to the point after she downed her first mouthful of noodles, "So, Hetty. You seemed awfully cold to her at the mission."

"And I get the feeling the only reason you spoke exactly one word and one contraction to her is because she asked you a direct question."

Kensi nodded her agreement of Deeks' assessment. "I still can't believe she put you at that kind of risk. Do you know what information she gave to Whiting?"

"Tiffany."

Kensi closed her eyes in resignation. "And the money?"

"Yup."

"Shit."

"Yup."

Deeks could see the fire in Kensi's eyes when she opened them. It warmed his soul. "What the hell was she thinking, Deeks?!"

He finished chewing and swallowing his chicken satay before answering, "Apparently that I'd be better off in jail again on a murder charge than out chasing down moles."

"Does she have some plan for undoing the damage she's done?"

"I don't know," Deeks shook his head. "I haven't spoken to her about it. That's not why I'm angry at her." At Kensi's questioning look, he continued, "I kind of told her that if anything happened to you, it was her fault."

Kensi's eyes widened at the thought of that conversation. "How did that go over?"

"Not as bad as you'd think considering it started with me throwing a chair across the boatshed." When Kensi seemed surprised by that, Deeks explained, "Kens, you had been kidnapped by a CIA agent, who by all accounts was probably a psychopath. Sabatino swore he didn't know where you were, Hetty had killed anyone else who might have known, and she was the reason I was in lock-up and you were alone in the first place. You could say I was pissed. And frantic."

"I'm so sorry Deeks," Kensi's voice was pained.

"What for?"

"I feel like this is my fault. I'm kicking myself for making it so easy for Sullivan. I mean, given everything that had been happening, I really should have been suspicious of him the moment I saw him this morning. Especially since he was supposed to be back with his unit."

Deeks was glad she realized it; that had been his main concern about Kensi's readiness for the field since seeing the video of her abduction. She _should_ have been on alert, and it almost cost her life. He knew that Kensi was physically ready, and what she had accomplished today, getting away from and beating the crap out of Ferris, only cemented that belief.

But there would be time for that conversation later. "You were probably distracted by everything that was going on. Not to mention that kiss; you were undoubtedly still on a Deeks high. That move with the earwig, by the way? Masterful."

"Thanks," Kensi grinned slightly. "So I'm angry at Hetty because of the danger she put you in, and you're angry at her for the danger she put me in. I'd say we need to figure out what to do about it, except you're still in jeopardy, so we need to focus on that first."

Deeks picked up his phone to check for a message about the wounded IAB detective, "Anything?" Kensi asked. When he shook his head, she said, "Okay, out with it. What didn't you say about Whiting? I know it's not as simple as what Callen described."

Deeks let out a breath. "The only way she would let me out to find you was if I agreed to tell her the truth about Boyle."

Kensi thought about that. She didn't like the idea that Deeks was forced to put himself at risk like that for her, but she understood it; from both Whiting's and Deeks' perspectives. She would have done the same thing in either of their places. "All right, but I said something similar in order to get in to see you. I'm sure you can figure out a way around it."

Deeks put down his food container and picked up Kensi's hand. "It was bad, baby. She took a bullet to the neck. It reminded me of when Renko was shot; there was so much blood. She was conscious for a while, and I was telling her to hold on, that she would be okay, trying to give her something to fight for…"

Kensi could feel the dread welling up from the pit of her stomach. She had a very clear image of what Deeks did next. Kensi Blye knew her man's heart, and if he believed that confessing to killing a fellow cop would give Whiting either solace as she passed from this world to the next, or motivation to cling ever more strongly to the last tether that connected her to life, he would do it. Even if doing so jeopardized his own life and freedom.

Kensi would be lucky if she could keep her dinner down. "Oh God, Deeks. You didn't."

Her met her eyes. "I told her everything."

Kensi didn't know what to say. She didn't know what to think, or what to feel. But she was pretty sure that everything she _was_ thinking and feeling was wrong, and she probably shouldn't say it.

"Kens? Talk to me."

She said it anyway, sure he would understand, "I'm sitting here battling with myself, because on the one hand, I want Whiting to make it. She was out there, helping you look for me, and she was shot because of it. She may have it out for you, but she doesn't deserve to die. But on the other hand…" Kensi's voice fell to a whisper, "On the other hand, Deeks, if she dies, your confession dies with her, and probably no one else in IAB cares enough to bother with your case anymore."

"Honestly, I can't believe she's still in surgery," Deeks admitted sadly.

"What do we do, Deeks? What happens if she survives?" Kensi couldn't believe she was asking the question, couldn't believe that although she wanted the detective to live, some little part of her brain kept reminding her, _your lives as you know them are over if she does_.

Deeks response was immediate, "I get a lawyer and we get married sooner than later."

"Babe, you confessed. I don't think she's going to be after me to testify against you."

"No, but what _I_ say can be used against _you_." At Kensi's blank look, Deeks clarified, "You knew last year that I was guilty, and you didn't do anything. As a sworn officer of the law, that's a big no-no, Princess. And Whiting already suspects it. No way are you getting into any trouble over this. Once we're married, I can't be compelled to testify to any crime that you might have committed. Besides, if we're married, I can get conjugal visits." He wiggled his eyebrows, trying to coax a smile from Kensi's beautiful features.

"Don't even joke about that Deeks," Kensi was in no mood for humor. They sat quietly for a few minutes, lost in their own thoughts.

Deeks sent another text to Bates but heard nothing back immediately. Finally, Kensi spoke. "What about Hetty?"

"What about her?" Deeks would rather talk about Whiting and his possible legal troubles than their operations manager.

"She's got to have something up her sleeve. Some way to fix this. And if she doesn't, I'm sure she can figure one out."

"I don't know, Kens. I don't think there's an easy fix this time."

"But she owes us, so she damned well needs to at least try. Hell, maybe she can get Quinn to confess." Kensi knew she was beginning to sound desperate, but there was no way in hell she would allow Deeks to spend another night behind bars.

"Kensi, I don't want an innocent man paying for my crime."

" _Innocent_? John Quinn is hardly innocent, Deeks."

"No, but he didn't kill Francis Boyle. I did. And if someone's going to answer for that, it'll be me."

"Deeks –" Kensi started to argue with him.

"No, Kens, listen to me. I'm not giving up. I have no intention of going to prison, not when I have you and our life together to look forward to. If the DA's not willing to make a deal, I'll take it to trial. What jury can look at these baby blues, my styled-by-pillow hair, and this body in my best court suit, and not believe me when I tell them that I killed Boyle to save a young woman's life? Especially when they hear that I've spent the rest of my career doing far more good than harm?" Deeks was displaying more confidence than he felt, but he couldn't bear the look of fear on Kensi's face. "But I don't think I get to come out of this completely unscathed, baby. Nor should I."

"You'll probably be fired from LAPD," Kensi acknowledged, not fully convinced by Deeks' argument, but trying to play along for his benefit. "But NCIS would still take you on."

"Maybe." Deeks shrugged his shoulders and leaned back into the couch. "But honestly, I don't know if I can go back to work for Hetty knowing the role she played in this. Both putting me back in Whiting's crosshairs and everything that resulted from sending you to Afghanistan, which as you said yourself, is where all of this started." Deeks studied Kensi closely, not sure he should ask this question now. He decided this might in fact be the best time, when their emotions were still raw. "Can you?"

Kensi blinked a few times, surprised by the enquiry. "I hadn't actually thought about it. I mean, yes, I'm angry at Hetty, and disappointed too. But it's not the first time. And I guess I'm just so focused on getting back into the field with you, on getting back to normal, that I'm willing to push that aside for now."

"Well, in the short term that's probably not a bad idea. We do have to go in tomorrow and start all that fun paperwork. Until we know what's going on with Whiting, life should go back to normal for a while at OSP." Again, Deeks paused, deciding whether to share his concerns just yet. But Kensi was anxious to be back out there, and they really did need to talk about this before she was responsible for watching his back again. _What the hell, in for a penny, in for a pound_ , he thought.

But Kensi knew him well. She'd read it in his eyes when she brought it up before, and she saw it again now, clear as day. Deeks seemed to struggle over how to say it, though, so she decided to help him out. "You don't think I'm ready."

Now it was Deeks' turn to be surprised. Not that his partner knew what he was about to say, but that she wasn't upset about it. "I'm not sure, Kens," he admitted slowly, as scratched the back of his neck. "From what you told us about your attack on Ferris, I know Kick-Ass Kensi is back in top fighting form. And Callen said your shooting is as good as it's ever been, hell, probably even better with your left hand."

"But you're worried about my judgement."

He nodded. "You were right before, you were off your game this morning; otherwise Ferris never would have gotten the jump on you like that. I'm sorry."

"Don't. You have no reason to be," Kensi replied quickly. "We both know it's the truth, and a good partner should call me on it so I don't make that mistake again. You're a good partner, Deeks. If I'm going to believe anyone who says that I'm not ready to be back in the field, it's you; it's your back I'm out there protecting. You need to be confident in my decisions, otherwise you'll try to compensate for my weakness, and all of a sudden we can't predict each other's moves anymore. People get killed like that."

Kensi took a moment to let her words sink in; to let Deeks understand that this wasn't going to be an issue between them. Everyone else be damned, she wouldn't go back into the field until _Deeks_ thought she was ready. But Kensi really did think she was, and he needed to know why. "That said, Callen was also right. We're all going to be a lot more cautious from now on. We got lazy, and look at what it cost us."

Growing slightly frustrated because she couldn't figure out what Deeks was thinking now, Kensi tried not to sound whiny when she asked, "How can I prove to you that I'm ready Deeks? What do you need me to do?"

He smiled a little before he spoke, "I think you already did it. I just needed to know your head was where it should be. You recognized your mistake and were ready to accept constructive criticism. What more can I ask for?"

Kensi beamed, "So you think I'm ready to be your partner again?"

"No, I know you're ready to be out in the field with me again. You never stopped being my partner, Kens."

Kensi's heart melted at the sentiment and she smiled sweetly at her partner. "You think Hetty will agree?"

"Even if she doesn't, she'd have some nerve not giving us what we want right now. But I can't imagine she'd have any concerns left. And if she does, we'll address them with her together."

Kensi threw herself at her partner and practically squealed, "I'm coming back!"

Deeks pulled Kensi even closer and tightened his arms around her, savoring the moment. "It'll be good to be by your side again."

Staying in his embrace because she sensed he needed it as much as she did, Kensi tucked her head into the crook of Deeks' neck. She inhaled his scent for a few seconds before speaking. "I'm sure it didn't always seem that way, but I know you never left my side, Deeks. Since Syria. In the hospital, during rehab, all of it. Even when I was pushing you away, I always knew you were there."

Kensi pulled back and looked him in the eyes. "And I don't think I ever really thanked you for that." She pressed a lingering kiss to his lips and whispered, "Thank you, Deeks. For not leaving me to die under that helicopter, for being the first thing I saw when I woke up, for coming back every time I got mad at you, for loving me even when I hated myself, for giving me something to look forward to, for supporting me every step of the way." She kissed him again, with more fervor.

When they came up for air, Deeks whispered back, "You're welcome Kens. I love you, and I'd do it all again if I had to."

"I love you too, and I hope we never have to do anything like that again," Kensi laughed lightly, sitting back and pulling Deeks with her. Shoulder-to-shoulder, they held hands, leaned their heads together, and started to relax a little.

They were quiet for a several long seconds. When Kensi spoke, there was uncertainty in her voice, "Babe?"

"Yeah?"

"What about the long term?"

"What do you mean? You want me to propose again?" Deeks joked, sort of.

"No. I mean, yes, of course I want you to propose, but not tonight. I think we hit on enough major stuff for one day. You said before that putting our anger at Hetty aside and going back to work was good for the short-term. What about the long term?"

"I think we need to have a wait-and-see mindset about that right now. Wait to find out what happens with Whiting and IAB. How we feel dealing with Hetty every day knowing what she's willingly done to us, individually and as a couple." He shrugged, noncommittally.

"Are you still thinking of leaving NCIS?"

"I might not have a choice ultimately, but yeah, I think that option's still on the table. How about you? You think you could bear to be out in the field every day with some guy who's not me?" Deeks teased.

"Oh, I'm sure I could." Kensi joked in return. "I mean, I was a damned good agent before you were my partner, you know. I'm sure I could do it again if I had to."

Catching the almost-perfectly-hidden look disappointment on Deeks' face, Kensi got serious. "But I don't want to. If you're out of NCIS, I am too. We'll figure out something else to do."

"Yeah?"

It was a little stab in the gut for Kensi that Deeks seemed unsure of the sincerity of her statement. "Of course; we're partners. Where you go, I go, remember? Besides, the next time you try to break someone's face for me, I want to be there to see it."

"Yeah?"

There was the flirty tone of confidence she loved to hear in Deeks' voice. "Yeah. Girly as it may be, I kind of like the thought of you pummeling some guy on my behalf. And the way you looked when you stormed into that room and ended Ferris?" she shuddered in arousal. "Sexy as hell, babe."

"Good to know. Would you be upset if I said I wish I could have been there to watch you take him on?" Deeks nuzzled Kensi's neck. "That it would have been very…exciting?"

"Only if you wanted my clothes to rip off, or to step in and save me."

"No way. My Kick-Ass Kensalina doesn't need anyone to save her in a fair fight. And as for the clothes, they should only come off in a physical encounter with me. Like maybe we're about to have now?"

"Oh, we're definitely going to have one now." Kensi's voice was full of desire as she turned to kiss him deeply.

Deeks broke the kiss a little bit later only to pick Kensi up in a bridal carry for the second time that day and carry her over the threshold to their bedroom.

They left the mess from dinner and their phones in the living room in their hurry to show each other their best moves. They were both sound asleep a few hours later when Deeks' phone alerted that he had a text message from Lieutenant Bates.

* * *

 **AN2** : I have a third chapter started but not even close to finished. I had hoped to have it posted before 8x16/Old Tricks airs, but that's just not going to happen. Guess I'll have to take my chances that what I plan to write doesn't turn out to be _exactly_ what TPTB have in store for us!


	3. Chapter 3

**AN:** This took a lot longer than I anticipated, because Whiting was so damned hard for me to write. True to character, she was being very uncooperative.

 **Spoilers:** Up to and including Payback (8x15). It's AU after that, since I assume Deeks has not yet told Kensi about his confession (still waiting to be proven wrong about that, PTB!).

 **Disclaimer:** I put in a bid to buy NCIS: LA, but until I hear back, let's assume I don't own it and I'm not making any money from this.

* * *

Kensi hesitated outside the door. She knew she shouldn't be here, but she'd already made the drive across town on a Saturday morning and had her arms full of what she hoped were appropriate provisions. Reminding herself of the reason for this trip, Kensi steeled herself mentally for what she needed to do, stood up straighter, pulled back her shoulders, put a what she hoped was a warm smile on her face, and rang the doorbell.

Less than twenty seconds later she spied a faint rustling of the curtain that covered an adjacent window and knew that now was the make it or break it moment. She wondered if the door would open or if the occupant was slowly creeping away, hoping Kensi would go away.

She didn't know if she was surprised or not when she heard the deadbolt being drawn back and saw the knob turn before the door opened as far as a chain lock would allow.

"I can't say I thought I would ever see you on my doorstep," were Detective Ellen Whiting's first words, delivered in her usual humorless tone.

"That makes two of us." Kensi came here to have an honest talk with the woman (okay, as honest as she could be under the circumstances). She may as well start now.

"Are you armed?"

"Only because it's required. My service weapon is at my back. I left the backup and my knife at home. I promise not to draw on you if you'll do the same." She smiled slightly, "Besides, if I'd wanted you dead, I could have easily gone to the hospital and done the job there."

Kensi figured she shouldn't have gone for the joke when Whiting closed the door in her face. Two seconds later, though, she heard the head of the chain sliding through its channel and falling against the doorframe. The door opened fully another few moments later and Whiting took a step back to allow Kensi entry into her apartment.

Stepping over the threshold, Kensi was surprised by the warm and inviting décor of the living room and kitchen as she quickly scanned them. They were definitely more feminine than Kensi had envisioned. Kensi also noticed evidence of Whiting's nine-year-old daughter: pictures of and by her on the walls and shelves, a backpack by the door, what looked like a chore chart hanging on the wall dividing the two rooms.

She would not have guessed this apartment housed the cold sternness she associated with the detective. But neither did the wavy hair that currently hung past her shoulders or the t-shirt, jeans, and flipflops the now attractive woman was wearing. Kensi hoped it was a good sign that she and Whiting could probably share a wardrobe and hair styling tips.

"You planning to poison me instead?" Whiting asked, looking at the items Kensi was holding in one hand and balanced on the bend of her arm: two six-packs of Yoo-hoo.

"Uh, no. But I did some research and found out this is a guilty pleasure." Not sure the woman fully believed her, Kensi sighed and volunteered, "Pick one, any one, and I'll drink it first. Really, Detective, I'm just here to talk."

Kensi took the carton that had been resting on her arm and against her chest and held it out. When Whiting accepted it and turned toward the kitchen, Kensi followed her from the living room. The gift bag that had been hanging in the crook of her arm slid down to her wrist.

Whiting opened the fridge and put the bottles in. "I'd offer you one, but they have to be –"

"Cold, and not with ice." Kensi completed the thought with a grin. "I got these from the refrigerated section, ready to drink." She put the second pack on the island between them.

As Whiting pulled two bottles from their sleeves and slowly shook them, Kensi put the bag on the counter and explained, "I know what it's like to have a scar in a hard-to-hide place." She touched left side of her neck, where her own fading mark could still be seen, a memento of her time under a helicopter in Syria. "So I brought you a jar of cream that I use several times a day. It doesn't do much for the scar itself, more for the dryness and itching, which helps the wound heal more cleanly. Also, some scarves. My mother actually bought them for me, but it turned out I never really left the house except to go to rehab, so I didn't need them. I figure you'll be going back to work soon, maybe you can use them."

Kensi reached into the bag and pulled out one last item. "And most important, a bottle of your favorite Moscato. I didn't know if you were on any kind of pain meds, so I didn't bring this chilled."

"Probably not a good idea for two armed people on opposite sides of a murder investigation to be drinking alcohol together, anyway," Whiting said flatly.

"Good point," Kensi acknowledged.

"You do all this research in that high-tech room upstairs in your super-secret lair?" The detective placed both well-shaken bottles on the island in front of her but made no move to offer one to the agent.

Kensi nodded. "Wasn't difficult with all that equipment to find out where you shop regularly and what you buy." Kensi pursed her lips in consideration of the other woman. "I have to say I wasn't expecting the sweet tooth…Yoo-hoo, Moscato." Kensi tried a small smile again, "I prefer my sugar in the form of Twinkies, doughnuts, and ice cream. And pretty much any kind of chocolate." She shrugged, "But to each her own, I guess."

"What makes you think the Yoo-hoo isn't my daughter's thing?"

"Pictures you've posted on social media. She drinks it, but you do too." Nodding at the full calendar that hung on the fridge, Kensi added, "I also learned this is your ex's weekend with your daughter. I wouldn't have come today, otherwise."

There was an awkward lull in what Kensi might generously call an uncomfortable conversation while the two studied each other. Ellen Whiting looked her up and down. Kensi was dressed in her typical weekend fare: a tee, shorts, and sneakers. The shorts were a deliberate choice because Kensi wanted the detective to see the scars on her leg from her surgery. She wanted as many commonalities between them as possible.

Despite her hair partially covering it, there was no hiding the bandage on the right side of Whiting's neck. Kensi knew Whiting spent more than two weeks in the hospital, much of that in critical condition. She'd been home for ten days now, and Kensi assumed she would be returning to work soon. So it was now or never if Kensi hoped to accomplish her task.

"You're going to have to do a lot better if you're trying to bribe me." Whiting stated blandly, finally breaking the silence.

Kensi laughed, "I work for the feds and you know exactly what Deeks makes. I'm sure we couldn't come close to that kind of money. But again, I only came here to talk. Not to bribe, not to kill."

"So talk." The detective slid one of the Yoo-hoos across the counter toward Kensi.

"Can I sit?" When Whiting merely nodded, Kensi pulled out one of the two stools that was tucked under her side of the island and sat. She opened the bottle and tipped it toward the detective in a silent toast before she took a sip of the chocolatey drink. Kensi savored the momentary return to childhood the flavor provided while she tried to figure out where to begin in the present. This had been much easier in her head and seemed like a better idea when she was at home.

 _Oh well, in for a penny, in for a pound. No turning back now,_ Kensi thought. "First, I want to apologize."

This seemed to surprise Whiting. "For what?"

"I feel partly responsible for you getting shot. If you hadn't been out there helping my team look for me, you wouldn't have been hurt."

Whiting shrugged as she opened her own bottle and took a pull from it. "I had my reasons for being there. If that abduction video was legitimate, I had no intention of letting someone be killed if I could do something about it. I may be in Internal Affairs, but I'm still a cop."

"Oh, it was legit. Guy that took me was a deranged CIA officer out for revenge."

"Against you or Deeks?"

Whiting's tone was acerbic, but Kensi ignored it. "Me. Apparently I shot his leg off a few years ago while he was hanging out with some undesirables when I was on assignment overseas. I didn't know he was CIA, or American for that matter," Kensi quickly added when she saw the look on the other woman's face.

"He brought a reciprocating saw to the party and wanted to cut my leg off as payback. Said he wasn't going to kill me, but I didn't see any first aid supplies, so I'm not sure how he was going to keep me from bleeding to death."

Kensi let that settle between them for a bit before moving on. "I understand that was a real concern for you, too. When you were shot."

"Bullet nicked my jugular vein," Whiting confirmed.

"You're lucky to be alive. I heard Deeks was instrumental in that."

Whiting arched an eyebrow in response. "I'll be sure to send him a thank-you note."

 _Not the answer I was hoping for. Okay then, Plan B_. "I don't know if you're aware how I got my little souvenir here," she tapped her neck. "Or the IM rod in my femur," Kensi twisted on the stool and stuck out her right leg, showing off the scars on her thigh. "Last year we were on a mission and I ended up trapped under…a piece of heavy machinery." Kensi didn't go into specifics due to the classified nature of their operation, and assumed Whiting realized that.

"I was knocked out for a little while, and when I woke up, Deeks was there, putting out a nearby fire. The rest of my team showed up a minute or two later and tried to free me, but I was pretty well pinned. I remember that first attempt at getting me out, but nothing after that. Even though, according to Deeks, I was awake and talking for several more minutes before I finally lost consciousness for the long haul. He's told me all about it; says he'll remember every bit of it until the day he dies, but as hard as I try, there's just nothing in my memory. The doctors said it was probably from a combination of the trauma and the blood loss." Kensi met Whiting's eyes as she spoke her last sentence, hoping the woman would take the hint and tell her what she wanted to know.

When the detective continued her silent treatment, Kensi swallowed and plowed ahead. _Let's hope the third time's the charm._ "I'm sure you know, Deeks was shot several years ago. Took two to the chest. He remembers everything leading up to and including the first shot, and then even after that, as the guy took aim for the second. He suffered practically no memory loss, as it turned out." Kensi shrugged and added casually, "The mind can be unpredictable in what it chooses to remember, I guess."

Whiting smirked and, slowly shaking her head, finally spoke, "For someone who's a part of an elite team of highly skilled federal agents who routinely do undercover work, that was a pathetic attempt to find out whether or not I remember Detective Deeks' confession."

Now it was Kensi's turn to raise an eyebrow. "But it worked."

"And if that was the point of this whole exercise, you can run along and tell your fiancé that his luck has run out."

Kensi raised her left hand, devoid of any jewelry, "Nope, not my fiancé yet. And that's not the purpose of my visit. Deeks doesn't even know I'm here. But it does help me figure out what I'm up against."

"What you're up against, Agent Blye, is the knowledge that your partner, the man you apparently still plan to marry, is a murderer. I know it, you know it, and he admitted it to me. I hope you two tie the knot before he goes to prison, so you can at least get conjugal visits."

Kensi chose to overlook the personal comment, and took a breath to calm herself. She had to walk a very fine line here. Kensi needed to be careful not to further incriminate Deeks or herself, otherwise Whiting could use this conversation against both of them.

She changed the subject. "Have you or anyone at IAB spoken to Tiffany Williams yet?"

"I'm not going to talk to you about an ongoing investigation, Agent Blye. You should know better than that."

Kensi smiled slightly, "Thought it was worth a try. I already know what she's going to tell you, though. She doesn't know who killed Boyle, because she wasn't there. But she thinks it was John Quinn."

"Oh, alright then, thanks for saving me the time in interrogation. Case closed, I guess. So glad you came by." Whiting replied cynically. "Because the four hundred dollars a month your partner has been paying her almost nine years certainly doesn't make me wonder where her loyalties lie."

"So give her a lie detector test."

"I'm sure by now she probably believes that line of bull Deeks has paid for."

"She was a scared kid who had no future and no job prospects. Deeks helped her out; that's all. You heard a little about his father, you know he has a long history of helping women in a difficult spot."

"A long history of shooting abusive men, you mean."

"God! You twist everything around so that it fits your narrative." Kensi let her emotions slip.

"You seem to forget that we both know he killed Francis Boyle. My _narrative_ is nothing more than the truth, Agent Blye."

"I know what Deeks told you when you had a bullet in your neck and you were bleeding out. But we also know that can easily be explained in court if the time comes."

"Really? He confessed to the murder of a cop, his partner no less, to the investigating officer."

"He told you what you wanted to hear, just like he promised he would, when he was frantic to find me. Didn't you think his choice of words was strange when you made that deal with him, Detective? He said he would _tell you what you wanted to hear_ if you helped him find me. He didn't say it would be the truth."

"Nobody's going to believe he could be that deliberate in his choice of words when, as you just pointed out, he was so desperate to find you."

"He's a lawyer, that's how his mind works. He was leaving himself an out for when it came time to pay the piper."

"And why on earth would he confess to me? Oh wait, because he thought I was dying? So it was a noble act." Whiting laughed bitterly, "You have got to be kidding me."

"Is it really so hard to believe? He thought you were dying and he gave you what you wanted. Let you think you were right. Or maybe he said he killed Boyle to give you the motivation to live. That comes across as a pretty selfless act to me, considering you're standing here today and he now has an alleged confession to defend against as well."

"I don't buy it." Whiting crossed her arms in front of her.

"It doesn't matter what _you_ buy, ultimately, does it? What matters is what a jury will believe, or better yet, what the DA thinks a jury will believe. And just think about this objectively for a second here. His California beach boy good looks, that sincere smile, the way he can charm just about anybody? He did it with all those hardened criminals you put in lockup with him, you know he can do it with a jury as well. All he'd need is for one person out of twelve to recognize that his intentions were pure when it came to his so-called confession, or when he was helping Tiffany financially. And all of your hard work would be for nothing."

Whiting was quiet again, but this time Kensi suspected it was because she was thinking about everything Kensi had just said. She gave the detective some more time before softly continuing. "Look, I know what you think Deeks did. But I'm willing to bet you also know enough about him that if you or your daughter were in trouble, Deeks would be one of the people you'd want on your side. He's a damned good cop and a damned good person, and I think you know that."

"That doesn't mean he should be allowed to get away with murder."

"Then ask yourself this: in the grand scheme of things, is the public safer with Deeks in prison or out on the streets doing his job?"

"That's not the point. He murdered a cop! Up until a few years ago, people got the death penalty for that. And you think I should just ignore all of the evidence and a confession because he's a nice guy? Wow, Agent Blye, love really is blind."

"I think that whoever did kill Boyle probably did the city, and IA, a favor. Francis Boyle was a dirty cop who never should have had a badge. He abused his authority, used unnecessary force against suspects, beat underaged and defenseless girls whose only crime was prostitution, put a gun in his own partner's mouth, and stole weapons and drugs from busts to sell them to other criminals. Not to mention the cache of money he was collecting from busts as well."

"The system has ways to deal with people like Boyle. No one had the right to kill him in cold blood."

"And yet 'the system' and LAPD repeatedly failed when it came to Boyle, and Steadman for that matter. Deeks tried to stop Boyle by using the system. And what happened? Nothing. Oh, wait, Deeks got reassigned to the undercover unit. You know what happened to Steadman's new partner? She was killed after six months with him."

"So Deeks killed Boyle to protect other cops, is that it? He'll never sell that as defense-of-another. It's still murder, and he still has to pay for it."

"You know that's not what I'm saying." Kensi took another breath. It was becoming obvious that Whiting wanted nothing more than to put Deeks in a cage for murder. "Look, I'm not going to argue with you anymore – "

"Will wonders never cease!" Whiting exclaimed.

"Or try to get you to listen to reason." Kensi had to school her features to keep from glaring at the other woman. "But I do want to leave you with two more things to think about." Kensi waited until the detective met her eyes before continuing, "First, Deeks had your life in his hands when you were shot. He could have let you bleed to death. Hell, anyone else in the same position probably would have. But he didn't. He did everything he could to save your life, and this was _after_ he said what he did, knowing full well what it would mean for him if you survived."

Kensi got up from the stool and started walking toward the door. She turned when she reached it. "Second, Deeks is human. He's done, or not done, things he regrets. Just like I have, and like I'm sure you have too. We don't get out of these careers with clean consciences. But he suffers for it. Some nights he wakes up screaming from nightmares about them. And I can tell you that he has never had a nightmare about Boyle. Take that for what it's worth to you."

Whiting countered calmly, and confidently, "All that tells me is that he doesn't feel any remorse for murdering a fellow cop."

"Maybe it should tell you he has nothing to feel remorseful about." Kensi opened the door and left.

* * *

When she arrived home, Kensi could see Deeks and Monty on the back stoop. He was combing out the dog's coat after a morning spent at the beach, and from the looks of them it had been a good time in the surf. Deeks' own hair was still wet, and Kensi wondered if he'd showered yet. She hoped not, because she loved the salty scent of the ocean on him.

Kensi tossed a wave at Deeks when he heard her come in the house. She headed straight for the kitchen, both for a couple of beers, and to delay talking to Deeks for a few more minutes. She was frustrated with the outcome of her visit to Whiting. She wasn't sure what she had expected, but this wasn't it. She'd hoped against hope the detective would decide it wasn't worth it to pursue a murder charge against Deeks anymore, but saw now how naïve that had been. For every point Kensi made, Whiting had a counterpoint. Worse, Whiting had the facts on her side, if not the truth.

Whiting had been right about one thing, though. It was good that they didn't open that bottle of wine. They might have come to blows had either one of them been even slightly impaired or lacking in judgment.

Popping the caps off the bottles, Kensi made her way to the back door.

"Hey," Deeks greeted her with a kiss when she sat down next to him and then returned his attention to Monty, who was enjoying the brush-down. "Good time shopping with Nell?"

She'd told Deeks that Nell had asked her to help shop for a baby shower gift for a cousin back east. Kensi inhaled deeply, preparing for the talk to come. She could smell her favorite body wash on her freshly showered boyfriend, maybe her third favorite scent on him. She hadn't told Deeks about her plans to speak with Whiting because she knew they would only argue about it. He would have told her it was a bad idea, and either asked or demanded that she not go, and she would have done it anyway. In this case, Kensi figured it was better to ask for forgiveness than permission.

"I actually didn't meet up with Nell."

Deeks turned his head to look at her, the question in his eyes.

"I went to Detective Whiting's apartment, to try to talk her out of continuing her investigation into you."

"You did _what_?" Deeks stood up so quickly he stepped on Monty's tail. The dog yelped and jerked away as soon as his human moved his foot again, but Deeks didn't seem to notice the dog's distress.

Kensi knew he wasn't looking for her to repeat her statement, so she just continued to meet his stunned gaze.

He paced away from her and back again while Monty moved to her other side, keeping out of Deeks' way. "Kensi! What the hell were you thinking? Do you have any idea how dangerous that was? What if she recorded the conversation?"

"I was thinking that I couldn't just stand by and watch you go to prison without doing something –"

"Kens, that was –"

"No, let me finish. You asked a couple of questions. At least let me answer them before you lay into me about this." Kensi waited until Deeks nodded his agreement before speaking again. "As for her recording the discussion, she didn't know I was going to show up at her door uninvited, so I really don't think we have to worry about that. And even if she did, I was very careful about what I said and how I said it, Deeks. I may not have a law degree, but I know enough to avoid saying anything that would cause you problems."

Deeks ran his hand though his hair and it settled on the back of his neck as he huffed out a breath. "I'm not worried about me, baby. If you implicated yourself, you could be charged as an accessory after the fact and with obstructing justice."

"Well, _I'm_ worried about you, and apparently one of us needs to be." She held out a hand to him, and when he took it, Kensi tugged so that Deeks would rejoin her on the stoop. She put an arm under his and linked their fingers together. "I'll tell you everything that was discussed if you want, but I can promise that whenever the topic of your confession came up, I said something like, 'What Deeks said.' I never once implied that I already knew."

His head fell into his other hand as Deeks let out a beleaguered sigh. "You told her about my confession?"

"Sweetie, I know you're not thinking straight right now because I just dumped this on you, but give me some credit here. Of course I didn't. But I got her to tell me that she remembers it. Which was one of the reasons I went there. At least now we know what to prepare for."

They spent the next hour reviewing and rehashing what Kensi and Whiting talked about; from Kensi's exact words to the detective's verbal and nonverbal responses. Kensi admitted to being particularly pleased with herself that she never once refuted that Deeks killed Boyle. Rather, she consistently denied that he had murdered the man, and figured the legal distinction between the two definitions would protect her from an obstruction charge. In the end, Deeks agreed that Kensi probably hadn't done any damage to either of them, but he still wasn't happy.

"Baby, you've got to promise me you will never do anything like that again. I know you meant well, but it was a potentially incredibly stupid move."

"You say stupid move, I say calculated risk. Kind of like when you confessed, don't you think?" Kensi's voice lacked recrimination, but her look dared him to contradict her.

"Right. And look how awesome that turned out." Deeks sadly reminded her.

* * *

Wednesday after dinner, Kensi and Deeks hooked Monty up to his leash for an evening walk. Opening the door, they were both startled to find Detective Whiting there, obviously about to ring the bell.

"Detective Deeks, Agent Blye," was all she said.

Kensi got over her stupor first, stepping in front of Deeks. "Detective," she said warily, as she looked beyond the interloper to check for the presence of patrol cars. Certainly she wouldn't come here alone to arrest Deeks.

Whiting held up her hands, revealing them to be empty. "No warrant. I'm not here to make an arrest. Just to talk." With her last words, Whiting met Kensi's eyes.

Kensi, for her part, wouldn't move until she knew what Deeks' play was going to be. He didn't keep her waiting long. She felt him step back just as he said, "Come in."

Kensi moved out of the doorway and watched as Whiting stepped inside and walked a few feet past her. She didn't seem to be wearing a gun at her back or leg from what Kensi could ascertain. She assumed it was in her shoulder bag, since the detective wasn't wearing a jacket of any kind. Despite Whiting's claim that she was there only to talk, Kensi was glad she and Deeks were both armed. She now appreciated how the other woman must have felt when Kensi showed up at her home out of the blue.

Deeks, further in the living room already, invited the detective to have a seat as Kensi approached his side and placed her hand on his lower back. The gesture was one of support and defense; she would be able to grab his gun before he could.

"I won't be here long enough for pleasantries, Deeks," she said blandly. "I have a proposition for you."

His eyebrows rose. "I thought we talked about this already, Kensi would not make a very good sister-wife." Deeks felt Kensi's short nails dig into his back. "Sorry," he said with a small smirk. "Please continue," Deeks encouraged, unable to keep the curiosity from his tone.

"Agent Blye here, despite her best efforts, was unable to convince me to drop the charges against you. But she did make a compelling case for the likelihood that if I am able to bring you to trial, chances are about even that you'd be acquitted."

"Better than that, I'd say," Deeks interjected confidently. "You've seen these pearly whites, haven't you?"

"Deeks," Kensi gently chastised him.

"Regardless, I'm sure it's a chance neither of us wants to take. So I'm willing to recommend that the DA drop the charges for lack of evidence, assuming Tiffany Williams doesn't implicate you when I speak to her next week. I will consider your statement to me after I was shot as a kindness, or even a hallucination, and I will not report it. In return, you will resign from LAPD with the stipulation that you never seek employment as a police officer or detective in any other jurisdiction in the country. I won't dump my mess in someone else's front yard. You won't be my problem anymore, and you can probably get a real job with NCIS. I have a feeling that boss of yours knows the truth, and frankly, she deserves you if her idea of supporting her people is leaving dead bodies all over their property."

"What assurance would I have that you won't come after me again one day, when you're bucking for a promotion, maybe? Or that this isn't a set up?" He directed himself toward the purse that hung from Whiting's shoulder and spoke louder, "Even a first-year law student would recognize this as entrapment."

"No guarantee. You'll just have to take my word for it. But the second option might be more appealing to you."

"I get a door number two? Wow, what did I ever do to get so lucky?" Deeks asked sarcastically.

Whiting didn't rise to the bait, for which Kensi was grateful. She was more than stunned that the detective was here and willing to put aside her desire to send Deeks to prison. But it wouldn't come without a cost, apparently. Despite their previous discussions about leaving law enforcement one day, the first option would not sit well with Deeks. Kensi could only hope the second was more palatable.

"I do want that promotion one day Deeks, but Boyle had a bad enough reputation with the higher-ups that finding his killer probably won't do that for me, even if it is another cop. So your other choice is to help me land a bigger fish."

"So, what, you're like the Equalizer or something? You help me today, you call on me to help you at some point in the future and I can't say no? Or is that like the mob?"

"Oh no, this is an immediate job. IA has suspected for some time that we have at least one cop in bed with the Molina cartel. You help me identify, build a case against, and get a conviction on whoever it is, and this all goes away for good. I get my promotion and you get to keep your badge. Hell, you'd probably get promoted too."

"If he doesn't get killed in the process," Kensi felt the need to add.

Deeks didn't respond.

"No smart-ass reply, Deeks? Of course, if we do this, you'd have to be arrested for Boyle's murder again to establish your own bad-boy credentials, and we might need to 'discover' some new evidence that would make you attractive to this dirty cop and Molina. But that would all come out as a cover in the end."

"Do you have any idea who it is? The cop in bed with Molina?" Deeks was all business now.

"It may be more than one. We have a list of potentials, so you wouldn't be starting from scratch. But we're not talking a short-term operation here either." Whiting reached into her bag and Kensi had her hand on Deeks' gun before the detective pulled out a cell phone. Deeks hadn't even flinched.

Passing it to Deeks, Whiting said, "I have the other burner. The number's programmed already. You have until Sunday night. I go back to work Monday morning, and if I don't hear from you, my first stop is to the DA to tell him about your confession." With that, she turned and left.

Kensi and Deeks let out their breaths slowly and stared at each other for several heartbeats before making their way over to the couch.

"God, Deeks, I'm so sorry." Kensi groaned, her head in her hands.

"What for? She just offered me a way out. Two, in fact."

"Sure, so you get to pick between the lesser of three evils."

"But now there's a choice, Kens. That's what's important."

"You would actually consider one of those options, Deeks? One results in you losing your badge and the other may end with you losing your life."

"Either one or both of those things could happen if I'm found guilty of murder, Kens. Or if I plead to a lesser charge." Kensi looked alarmed at the thought of Deeks taking a plea deal. "I know what you and I have said to Whiting, but juries are notoriously unpredictable, baby. I'd like to avoid taking this to trial if possible."

Kensi imperceptibly nodded her understanding, still in shock at the turn not only in their night, but in their lives.

They sat quietly for a while before Deeks took Kensi's hand and stood, pulling her along. "Come on partner, let's take Monty for that walk. We've got a lot of talking to do and a big decision to make."

The end.

* * *

 **AN:** I'm marking this complete. It may seem like a cliffhanger, but really it's not…you know what Deeks would choose. I know what I would have him choose, and I may continue to this tale as its own story, but I make no promises. Honestly, I don't know if I'm the person to do it; major undercover plots are way too complicated for me to write, I think.

I'm pretty sure the inspiration for one of Whiting's offers came from a discussion with Max and Fern 4Ever, who has a wicked mind, in the best possible way. More props to her and sassyzazzi for their help in nailing down some background facts I was foggy on.


End file.
